Emptiness
by WhatxStillxRemains
Summary: After the final war, Voldermort wins, This is the Demise of Severus Snape, and a broken Hermione Granger and Albus Dumbledore.
1. Prolodge

Prologue

Prologue

The war had finished, finally.

However this was more due to the fact that there was no good left in the world to fight for, and no one left to fight for it. Albus Dumbledore, the original campaigner for peace and goodwill, was the last standing, His final curse. He had nothing left, not even the ghost of a smile. Infact it had been rumoured that since the final blood, he had not stepped outside of his office in the former school of Hogwarts, choosing instead to stare at portraits and loose himself in the memories of what once was, and the smiling faces that he had foolishly led to their untimely deaths.

The grim dementor's of Azkaban prison, had finally been freed by the dark side, and set loose hundreds and hundreds of bleak muggle abodes, leaving nothing anyone could do about the despair, hatred and depression that spread out all around the globe. There were reports that the Dementor's curse had reached out as far as China and Australia, but it was all rumours, as no one could communicate with the rest of the world anymore. Muggle TV lines and power cables had been cut. Owls flying low enough were blasted to smithereens. Communication was eradicated.

As the last member of the children's order of the phoenix lay dying, a 14 year old boy, who was once a promising Hogwarts student majoring in defence against the dark arts, now it all seemed like a pitiful joke, but nobody was laughing. He was lying in a pool of his own blood, his wand broken and his arm burnt, as if it had been blasted at very close range. At that point Albus Dumbledore had finally admitted defeat; he had led mere children to war, to their deaths in a last foolish crusade.

The muggleborn had been given the unbearable choice, stay and be forced into slavery or brothel houses or flee into the muggle world, after their wands had been snapped or burnt, cast aside just like their owners so they could never return to the world that they once knew and loved, not that in the current state of things they would chose to return. There was no choice for them really; either way broke them, their brilliant yet foolish minds already corrupted by war and the innocence that had been torn from them.

Harry James potter, one of the last and most prized hopes for all that was still golden in the wizarding world, had fallen to a group of lowly zero ranked death eaters a year ago, Voldemort was not the one who finished him off in the end. He had no funeral and no remains to speak of, although that could never be confirmed as parts of his dismembered decaying corpse were rumoured to have appeared on the black market; His body was tortured and raped by the angry death eaters who blamed him for every bad time that had fallen in their sheltered lives of purity and corruption. His soul had left him before hand however, as he had to witness his girlfriend, his one true love, Ginny Weasley, Brutalised, raped and burnt slowly to death by a lone group of death eaters who had found her trying to hide beside him, He was freed afterwards, His eyes empty and his heart broken, until he walked into a group of death eaters and allowed them to destroy him. To him it may have been the release he was looking for finally.

Many war orphans were now housed at Hogwarts, which was now a home for the dead and the dying, whatever pleasant name the death eaters gave it, and were left in the care of Albus Dumbledore, who had been forced to stay and witness the death of nearly every pupil who had ever fought in his name. The orphans were looked after by a skeleton crew of society's rejects and 'filth' that were thought to be too uncivilised to roam the streets. The Orphans weren't allowed to study magic, and were beaten by death eaters weekly. Some didn't even survive a day their, their fragile bodies cast aside to make room for the living.

Also There were now many werewolf children roaming the streets, The death eaters found it fun to feed children to the hungry wolfs, and then train them in turn to bite unsuspecting victims, some as young as babies. The streets were no longer safe to any degree, and the ministry was so corrupted that it was like entering a cold war zone.

Surprisingly no one knew what happened to the mighty Lord Voldemort. It didn't seem to matter anymore. In all the carnage he laid forgotten, His followers had finally deserted him to lead a life full of evil and torture. And power, they all finally were as powerful as Tom Riddle had promised them 40 years ago, the power he had denied them as his underlings for so long.


	2. Hogwarts Institution

It was dark at Hogwarts institution for war orphans. Very dark. Not just because of the distinct lack of light from the sun that had been blocked out, but because of the dark times that plagued the wizarding world. Many students had been killed, by both sides in the war, as attempts to get at their parents, and because they had chosen to fight a loosing battle, or maybe just maybe because they were muggleborn. This war had no moral limits. Just bloodshed. A dark mark hovered in the sky. It had been there since the day the war started and stayed after it ended.

"Death is the next big adventure. I wish I was the one in your place, After all I've done." A broken Albus Dumbledore said to Severus Snape as he showed him a copy of his death certificate, which was co signed by Argus Markia, Chief Healer at St Mungo's.

"How many times do I have to tell you? I'M NOT DEAD. Now shut up Albus, we can still win this war!" Severus shouted at Dumbledore who was getting more and more frustrated by the second.

"I SEE THERES NO POINT ME TELLING YOU ANYTHING! YOUR AS STUBBON AS BLOODY USUAL!" Dumbledore said sounding unusually angry.

He had been there when Severus had been hit by an unknown curse. They had tried their hardest to revive him, but he showed no sign of life whatsoever. They eventually buried him away from Hogwarts in a small cemetery in Hogsmede. However due to the nature of the curse, His body decayed quickly, and as it decayed a more firm ghostly like imprint of himself arrived at Hogwarts. It was obvious that he wasn't alive, that couldn't be doubted, by anyone but Severus at least. However maybe, Just maybe he wasn't quite dead. He was dead to this world, but not dead enough, maybe to journey forwards to the next world. Perhaps that was the final curse. To spend your whole life in limbo, In a denial you can never escape from. Severus Snape knew he was no longer alive, but perhaps just perhaps he wasn't dead yet. And that thought was going to keep him fighting Dumbledore.

At this point Snape glided off into the corridor, He knew he was right. He just knew that he wasn't dead. Whatever Dumbledore said.

Dumbledore sighed, He didn't know what to do, It wouldn't help Severus, spending eternity here. He deserved peace. And Dumbledore was an old man. He knew that he would not survive this war, So he had to think of another option. Eventually he picked up a large muggle telephone that was protruding from his overcoat pocket; He had modified it slightly so it worked at Hogwarts, or around any form of magical area. Not that their was much magic at Hogwarts any more. He dialled a number that had been imprinted in his mind since the day she left here.

"Miss Granger, Sorry to call you at this unusually late hour, it's Albus Dumbledore." He said

"Oh.." She said faintly, It was obvious that she hadn't been sleeping. She was not very pleased that he was calling her at all. It was obvious she blamed him for this war. He thought sadly. She had lost both her parents to this dreadful war. She had lost her friends, and she had also lost her soul.

"I need you at Hogwarts, I know that it's short notice, I know that you left 2 years ago and said you never want to step foot there again but, needs must, it's Severus, he needs you." Dumbledore exclaimed.

"Severus is dead." She stated calmly, thinking that Dumbledore had finally lost it.

"Don't you think I don't know that? I loved him like the son I was never supposed to have. But he absolutely refuses to believe he's dead! If he doesn't accept it, he will never be able to escape from limbo and be forced to remain a ghost of his former self forever. " Dumbledore Stated.

"Oh" she said wondering why, of anyone Dumbledore called her. She had loved Severus, still did in actual fact, although she would never admit that to herself.She was hard now. She had no time for love. However that love for him was never returned to her anyway. She would have chosen to die in his place if god would have let her. No scrap that. There was no god. No saver of souls. Just eternal damnation. But now Dumbledore wanted her to come and to see him again, In the state that he was in before his death, she wondered why she deserved all this.

"..And I think he would listen to you." Dumbledore said, taking her away from her thoughts.

"Ok." She said at last. Reluctantly "Il get my trunk and floo there as soon as convenient."

Regardless of what she had said, she sensed the urgency in Dumbledore's voice and packed her bags straight away.

Hermione shuddered as she entered the empty hallways. Before, when she had been a student, there were the sounds of laughter and joy, now only the echoing of pain and sorrow.

The portraits on the walls no longer smiled, or spoke out words of warmth, humour or comfort. They remained cowered in corners, afraid of what may be in these halls. She could feel nothing, as if all energy and life had been sucked from her by a dementor. This place actually reminded her of Azkaban, the wizarding prison.

Finally after a long climb, she reached Albus Dumbledore's study. She walked in to find a haggard looking man, a shadow of his once brilliant self. She herself didn't look much better, the war had clearly aged everyone. No one was carefree anymore.

"Hello!" She said. As he turned towards her. His piercing blue twinkled eyes were hazed, as if someone had sucked the life from him.

"Ms Granger." He said slowly. "Take a seat."

"I would prefer to stand" She said slightly offish. She didn't want to be here, she wanted to feel the warmth outside, as it was sucked away. Muggle Borns had barely any rights anymore thanks to Voldemort, and the Ministry, but she still had the right to refuse hospitality.

"As you wish". He said, sounding more like an old man than ever before.

"I'm still not sure why you called me, me of all people, Professor. He made it clear to me that I was nothing to him. You hear me nothing. Nothing but a little mudblood to clean his classroom. I'm not worthy of more. Never have been, Never could be!"

"You must never call yourself that!" Dumbledore shouted

"I still have my pride! My self assurance!" She screamed at him. "They want to hang people like me up on trees and throw rocks at us. Why fight it any more Albus. We're all defeated. The order has fallen. And yet you still have your manners. Where will manners get you when your being killed??" She added.

"They will stop me fighting for the other side." He said simply.


	3. Dumbledores Thoughts

Dumbledore's POV

Dumbledore's POV

Hermione Granger was admittedly as stubborn as Severus had ever been, Dumbledore thought to himself. No one really knew what had happened to her over the years, she had just somehow stopped fighting, Stopped living, Just merely surviving, Just like a certain potions professor had done so many years ago because of what had befallen him.

Years ago Dumbledore had hoped that she would eventually feel she belonged at Hogwarts again, as a professor of one of the subjects she used to yearn so much, But he had settled in his old age knowing that the corrupted war youths would never feel at home there again, well the few that were left at any rate.

He himself had seen far too much bloodshed over the long years of his life, far too many young lives lost for a fallen and certainly hopeless cause. The darkness, he had learnt was far stronger than the light ever could have been. They had given their souls, every one of the order, for nothing. And he had led them to the slaughter, just like lambs.

Dumbledore knew Hermione still blamed him for the loss of everything she held dear, all her friends had perished , she existed like Tom Riddle did, Out of pure hate. Once she was the strongest, most cleverest witch of her year, her knowledge stronger than others twice her age, and now. Well now she was a mere shell of the person she used to be and it was all his fault, He had led the final crusade against Voldemort, with mere children as backup, mere children who could not control their magic, or the carnage that followed. If anyone had committed a crime of war it was him, not Voldemort.

Dumbledore knew love had been his own weakness all those years ago, Especially for Severus, The man he saw almost like a son, a son he was never mean to have, a son he forgave for everything.

Severus had touched on the darkest of dark for Dumbledore, he had killed in his name, and he had killed because of him. He was as tortured as he could ever have been, even in death you could still se the deep pits in his eyes where he had lost those that he had foolishly cared for. Maybe that's why he could not part from this earth, Dumbledore thought; his soul must have been so bare at the time of his death, that there was nothing to be judged at the gates.

Dumbledore guessed that he had seen himself in Severus, that's why he cared for him so much, Severus too had been beaten by love, the love for the woman he betrayed to keep to his dark path, the woman in question was, Lily Evans, Harry Potters mother. That's why he had tried unsuccessfully in the end to stop the demise of Mr Potter, because he had his mothers' eyes, the eyes that stared at him blankly from a corpse so many years ago. That's why Severus had sought him out in the end, Because of the guilt he was feeling, from the burden he would bear forever.

Dumbledore thought to himself with dry eyes, he could no longer cry, about Lily Evens son who he himself had sworn to protect. Harry potter's body he thought to himself was never found, his death was so glorified that there was no need for a corpse, only the horrific photos of a boy corrupted, and brutalised in so many ways. The death eaters had forced Dumbledore to watch the memory of the murder time and time again, he saw it every time he closed his eyes, powerless to do anything, but guilt ridden as he knew it was all his fault.

Yes, He could see why Hermione Granger hated him so much.


	4. The Stench Of Death

There was a rotten stench all around the lower corridors of stale blood and rotting meat, Rats were rife and you could hear th

There was a rotten stench all around the lower corridors, of stale blood and rotting meat, Rats were rife, flies were buzzing everywhere and you could hear the crunch of animal nibbling on crumbling bone. You could feel the screaming through the walls.

There were no prayers for the dead of Hogwarts, just corpses, left to rot. There were no funerals, no ceremonies, not even a few final words, they were just left to rot. It wasn't pleasant, but the living had to survive, and going outside, was almost certain death. Some even stumbled here to die, choosing to keep their bodies whole rather than facing being abused by the sick death eaters as they lay dying.

''This was once a school. Now it's a burial ground'' the ghosts reminded themselves as they floated limply round the dungeons. All the other ghosts had fled, leaving only those who were truly damned in this life, to enjoy this hell hole.

Hermione could feel death all around her, as she walked towards the dark dungeons, A rat scurried over her thin feet, Cursing she kicked it, and listened to the satisfying sound of bone coming into contact with stone, or even rotting bone.

She had chosen to stay in the dungeons as she did not feel like sharing the surface with that, that wretched excuse for a man that still clamed the title of 'Headmaster'.

She felt nothing, nothing but pure hatred for him, what once had been devotion to a cause was now pure bloody hatred, and she knew that nothing would ever change that. In the last few months he had been a supremacist , as bad as the death eaters. His campaign was just as vicious as the dark forces.

There had been all the brilliant minds that had been corrupted by Dumbledore's campaign, even Severus Snape, who had fought alongside him after years of soul destroying torture and hurt fell at the final hurdle, trying to protect the man that had stolen his damned soul. His mind had been the most brilliant of all the orders defence, someone who she Hermione had once admired greatly. Now he was a shadow of a living thing, a ghost in limbo, all because he could not get out of the trap that he had been drove into.

It appalled her that she, who had lost everything to Dumbledore was sharing the very castle that haunted every nightmare , when her eyes were closed. She could still here the children laughing, then the scream as they were massacred , every last one, regardless of blood status.

Yes, she was bitter. Really bitter. But one day just one day she would show him just how bitter she was.

She reached her destination, the former rooms of Severus Snape. Here she thought she would lay for the night.

The sheets remained perfectly straight, with no creases, just how, she guessed Snape would have left them. His robes lay out on the bed, Ironed and pressed. She presumed the house elves must have left them there, as a tribute to the man. Actually Dumbledore had laid them out to honour the man that he thought of as a son, the man that he had let die.

She made a place for herself on the floor. It seemed wrong, like trespass, she thought to disturb his possessions. She just sat. and let the final darkness of this long night come over her..

Just a short update. Please Review!

Next chapter ''A nightly Visitor'' will be uploaded soon.


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